Oakland working on mobility plan

The town of Oakland is working on a Master Mobility Management Plan that will provide short- and long-range transportation planning for all modes of transportation, including automobile, transit, bicycle and pedestrian.

The town has partnered with Metroplan Orlando, Central Florida’s metropolitan planning organization, and Kittleson and Associates Engineers and Planners consultant firm.

Two charrette-style meetings will be held this summer; the first is Tuesday, July 11, with a stakeholder portion in the morning and invitation-only public session in the afternoon.

Consultants will interview eight selected people in the morning to get their views on the town and transportation. Selected stakeholders are Oakland Mayor Kathy Stark, Betty Wade, Pastor Bob Hines, Oakland Police Chief Steve Thomas, Rex MacPherson, Tad Dixon, former County Commissioner Scott Boyd and Dwight Saathoff.

In the afternoon, the consultant will make a presentation to a Citizen Advisory Committee, introducing the project and getting feedback.

Town Planner Jay Marder said this is the drafting phase; in August, another charrette will be held to present the consulting firm’s ideas.

Although the general public is not invited to these meetings, Marder said anyone with a project idea they’d like to share can contact him at (407) 656-1117, Ext. 2107, or [email protected].

“We’re worried about moving traffic, but we’re also concerned about moving people and having the ability to integrate these areas with some kind of street grid system. It’s all going to connect somehow.” — Town Planner Jay Marder

The plan that is developed will provide a strategy for future development along State Road 50 and how it will connect with neighborhoods, businesses, other main arteries and the West Orange Trail.

“The state has a right now is in the process of adopting a new complete-street policy which will change the transportation planning throughout the streets,” he said. “We have to look at moving cars, but we also have to look at moving bicycles and people and transit in relation to neighborhoods and development.

 “We’ll focus on the whole town but concentrate a bit on the unknown future of the State Road 50/Colonial Drive corridor and develop a traffic structure and a framework to integrate that street with other connector roads and land uses as well,” Marder said. “We want some kind of livability and sustainability and Oakland character.”

Contact Amy Quesinberry at [email protected].